Dodge Repair: Speedometer does not work, powertrain control module, dogde neon

Question
Speedometer does not work, check engine light is on, no air bag light is on and the words "no bus" appear where the odometer reading should be.  It's a 2000 Dogde Neon.

Answer
No Bus indicates that the BUS network is down.  This is a set of wires where components such as the radio, mechanicl instrument cluster (MIC), air bag module, trans control module and powertrain control module share information back and forth.  There are also other modules like SKIM, RKE, and ABS that talk on there as well if the vehicle is equipped.

It's possible that the instrument cluster is failing or that another component on the network is dragging down the entire BUS network.  Diagnostics for this sort of situation normally start with unplugging the the MIC and plugging it back in to see if that was the cause and a quick disconnect from power and ground will reset it.  From that point on it's a guessing game without a dealer scan tool that can identify all the components active on the BUS and compare that to what's actually installed on the car.  You could disconnect each module one at a time to try and isolate the component that is dragging down the network but it will involve removing the radio, center console (for the Airbag module), the steering column shroud (SKIM), the upper dash cover (MIC and RKE), and disconnecting the TCM and PCM under the hood.  

I would be hesitant to suggest disconnecting the SKIM module because if for some reason it does not want to re-establish communications with the PCM it could lock you out completely and you will no longer be able to start the car.  If this were a newer car I would throw in the possibility of a screw through a wiring harness or trim panel pinching a wiring harness both of which could have happened from the factory. Your car is 7 year models old now so I don't think there's any problems like that unless you've had recent interior work done.

Without further hands on diagnostics and the use of a scan tool I couldn't narrow it down much more than that.
Doug